Wounds Heal Faster When You Control Blood Sugar: Try These Low-Sugar Treats

High blood sugar levels are harmful. For people living with diabetes, high blood sugar is especially dangerous and damaging to nerves and blood vessels. However, high blood sugar has a negative effect on everyone’s overall wellness. And, it can limit our body’s ability to heal.

The first signs of high blood sugar include a headache, sleepiness or difficulty concentrating. For most people, these symptoms go away as our bodies naturally regulate the amount of sugar in our blood. For people living with diabetes, their body isn’t able to regulate blood sugars as well so medications may need to be added to help control the amount of sugar in the blood. In both cases, wound healing stops while blood sugar levels are at 200 or higher. This is because high blood sugar reduces the amount of oxygen and nutrients in our blood, reducing our ability to heal wounds.

Healthy, Low-Sugar Foods Can Help You Heal

It’s important to eat a well-balanced diet that is low in sugar to help your body heal. People who are living with a chronic wound need extra calories, protein and Vitamins A and C. Your doctor may have prescribed a special diet for you. If so, follow their recommendations to ensure you are getting the right nutrition.

Low-Sugar Recipes Are Easy to Find

There are many websites that offer free low-sugar and sugar-free recipes. One of our favorites is DiabetesFoodHub.org, from the American Diabetes Association. That’s where we found this low-sugar cookie recipe.

Gluten-Free Quinoa Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

3 tbsp Smart Balance margarine (softened)
1 tbs vanilla extract
1 egg
¼ cup Splenda Sugar Blend
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats (gluten-free not quick-cooking)
2 cups cooked quinoa (cooled)
½ cup gluten-free baking mix
¼ cup mini-chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, whisk together the margarine, vanilla, egg and Splenda. Mix until well blended.
Add the oats, quinoa and baking mix into mixture and stir well. Fold in the mini-chocolate chips.
Drop by tablespoon onto the lined baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes.
Cool on a wire rack and store in an airtight container when cool.

Nutritional Information:

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 30
Serving Size: 1 cookie
Amount per Serving
Calories: 55
Total Fat: 2g
Saturated Fat: 0.5g
Cholesterol: less than 5mg
Sodium: 30mg
Total Carbohydrate: 8g
Dietary Fiber: 1g
Protein: 1g

Try these Diabetes-Safe Natural Sugar Swaps in Your Favorite Recipes

Monk Fruit Extract contains no calories and does not affect blood sugar levels.
Stevia is made from plants, low in calories and maintains its flavor during heating and baking.
Erythritol is a sugar alcohol that has very few calories and has no impact on your blood sugar.
Fresh Fruit makes a great natural sweetener to baked goods. Try adding mashed bananas or unsweetened applesauce to your recipes.